New Rate of Real Living Wage of £9.00 Announced

The independently calculated rate reflects rise in cost of livingand is £1.17 per hour more than the minimum wage (for over 25s)

£116,201,314 in extra wages has gone into workers’ pockets in Scotland since the voluntary movement started

19% of jobs still pay below the real Living Wage in Scotland

1293 of employers in Scotland ‘do right thing’ by paying the voluntary real Living Wage

More than 1,200 Scottish employers have committed to give staff a pay rise as the new Living Wage rates rise to £9 around the UK due to rising living costs. The Living Wage rates are independently calculated and based on the real cost of living.

The UK rate has increased by 25p from £8.75 to £9; a 2.8% rise on last year.

Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister of Scotland, said:

“It’s fantastic to see the rise in the rate of the real Living Wage which will benefit thousands of people and businesses across Scotland. Scotland is the best performing country in the UK in terms of paying the real Living Wage and is already ahead of the curve when it comes to championing fairness in the workplace. There are now almost 1,300 Living Wage accredited employers in Scotland while our new Fair Work First strategy will make payment of the Living Wage a condition of even more public contracts and government support grants.

“I would encourage businesses and organisations to recognise the benefits of the real Living Wage which is not only helping to ensure people’s basic pay meets the cost of living but is increasing staff retention, productivity and boosting morale in the workplace.”

Peter Kelly, Director of the Poverty Alliance said: “Paying the real Living Wage can help loosen the grip of poverty for many workers and their families. Today announcement of this increase in the rate of the real Living Wage announced today will be welcomed by thousands of workers across Scotland.

“Our aim is to deliver pay increases to the real Living Wage for more workers in Scotland, and I’m pleased to say that Living Wage Scotland are making real progress on this. Since we launched Living Wage Scotland in 2014, more than 34,000 Scottish workers have now received a pay increase as a result of their employer becoming Living Wage accredited.

“We now have 1293 employers in Scotland who have become accredited as Living Wage employers, recognised that it is the right thing to do. We hope that more employers, particularly those who are in typically low paid sectors, will also consider Living Wage accreditation as being good for workers, good for business and for wider society”.